A Member’s Field Guide to Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp sought to dismantle and expand the boundaries of what constitutes a work of art; he once asked, “Can one make works that are not ‘of art’?”

Despite his place as a central figure in numerous artistic groups—including Cubism, Dada, and Surrealism—Duchamp resisted categorization, prioritizing creative individuality. Though he’s primarily remembered as an artist, he was also a curator, conservator, art advisor, professional chess player, writer, inventor, and celebrity. While Duchamp was fond of referring to himself as simply a respirateur or “breather,” his lifelong friend, the photographer Henri-Pierre Roché, summed up these so-called “marginal” activities when he said the best thing about Duchamp was the “use of his time.”

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